Many residential and commercial properties include an aquatic ecosystem, such as an aquarium or a pond, to be enjoyed by those residing or working at the property. Often, the aquatic ecosystem includes fish or other marine life. To allow the fish and other marine life to thrive and to keep the ecosystem's water fresh, the water must be frequently purified or replaced. If the aquarium or the pond is small, then the dirty water is often removed and discarded, after which clean, fresh water is added. If the aquarium or pond is large, then the aquarium or pond typically includes a system to purify the dirty water. With the system, the dirty water is not discarded. Instead, the dirty water is purified and then circulated back into the aquarium or the pond.
An example of a conventional system 10 that purifies water for an aquarium or a pond is shown in FIG. 1. The system 10 includes a filter 12 to remove particulates and organic waste, and a pump 14 to circulate water through the filter 12. The system 10 also include pipes 16 that contain the water of the aquarium (not shown) or pond (not shown) as the water flows through the pump 14 and filter 12, and circulates back toward the tank (not shown) of the aquarium or the basin (not shown) of the pond. The filter 12 is disposed in a housing 18 without a drain port and includes a matting material 20 to trap particulates suspended in the water, and a layer of rocks 22 to hold bacteria that converts harmful components of organic waste, such as ammonia, into useful compounds, such as nitrate—a plant fertilizer. As water flows around individual rocks 22, the bacteria consume the harmful components suspended in the water and generate nitrate. In operation, the pump 14 draws water from the tank or basin into the pipe 16. The pump 14 then forces the water through the pipe 16 and into the housing 18. The water flows up through the matting material 20, then through the layer of rocks 22, and then over the ledge 24 and into the tank or basin.
Unfortunately the filter 12 requires frequent cleaning, which is time consuming, to keep it operating efficiently. The matting material 20 clogs with particulates that it removes from the water, and the bacteria in the layer of rocks 22 multiply quickly and clog the spaces between individual rocks 22 that the water flows through. To clean the matting material 20 and the layer of rocks 22, one first drains soiled water from within the filter 12 back into the aquarium or pond by reversing the direction of water flow through the pipe 16, then removes both the matting 20 and layer of rocks 22 from the housing 18. One can then either discard the dirty matting material and replace it with new matting material 20, or clean it by running water through it, typically in a direction opposite to the flow of the aquarium or pond's water. Next, one can clean the individual rocks 22 by exposing each rock to a jet of water. Then, to reassemble the filter 12 in the housing 18, clean matting material 20 is inserted into the housing 18, clean rocks 22 are layered above the matting material 20, and bacteria is added to the layer of rocks 22.
Thus, there is a need for device, methods, systems, etc., that efficiently purify water in water garden-type aquatic ecosystem and is easier to clean. The present devices and methods, etc., provide these or other advantages.